Excavator eoe



RANSOM P. ADAMS, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS.

nXcAvA'roR ron rENcE-ros'rs.

specification of Letters Patent No. 10,952, dated May es, 1854.

To all lwiz-0111, t may concern.

Be it known that I, RANsoM I. ADAMS, of Clinton, Dewitt county, Illinois, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Boring Holes for Fence-Posts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification, in which- Figure l is a side View, Fig. 2 is a top view, F ig. 3 is a front view7 and Fig. 4 is a back view.

The letters ,of reference refer to the same parts in the different figures wherever they I make a four wheeledcarriage, the fore i and hind axles of which are connected by a perch (a) and coupled in the usual manner by a bolt (c) toenable the carriage to turn with facility.` The hind wheels are furnished with a brake (b), andthe fore` axle with a steering apparatus (d) consisting of a vertical shaft, with hand wheel keyedto the top, and pinion leaves on the lower end which work in a toothed arc of a circle (of which (c) is the center) attached to thefore axle. Resting upon the fore aXleand perch is a frame (e) which affords journals to the vertical shafts f and g and the vertical shaft of the steering apparatus d. h is keyed to the shaft f and is nearly concentric with the bolt 0,' it` works in the spur wheel z', keyed upon the shaft g, which shaft has also keyed to it a bevel wheel (lc). The shaft f is prolonged above the frame e, and carries a crank handle (Z) for which a lever beam may be substituted with the usual contrivances for attaching one or more horses, thus `constituting a portable horsepower, which by means of a shaft (1111) and its bevel wheel (a) working in the bevel wheel `7c serves to communicate motion to the machinery on the hind aXle hereafter described.

Supported by upri hts on the hind axle and perch is a frame go) which affords journals at p, p for the horizontal shaft g. Above the frame 0 is placed a slotted piece (1) which has projections (s, s) on its under side, through which the shaft g passes and forms a pivot .which allows the piece 1l to assume a laterally inclined position with reference to the frame 0, when acted upon The spur wheel by theset screws t, t, working in the side pieces of the frame 0. Upon the slotted piece 11, 1s placed a slide or platform (u) furnished with iianges or guides which hold it down tothe piece 1, and admit only of lateral motion which is communicated to it by the spurwheel 1J, upon the shaft g, operated by the hand i wheel thereon and working (through the slot in the piece 1') in the rack w,- attached to the underside of the platform u.

Above the platform u, is placed a bed l `piece (w) which by means of projections `on its under side, and corresponding projections on the upper side of u, united by the pivot y, can be inclined with reference tothe plane of the platform u, in the direction of the length of the carriage when acted upon bythe set screws e, e. i

Upon the bed piece is bolted a superstructurelwhich sustains the boring `apparatus. It consists of two uprights a and b with two crosspieces. A shaft (0') is journaled in the uprights, and carries'keyed on its forward end apulley (cZ). 1 It receives its motionfrom theshaft 111, bymeans of a band from the pulleye fixed on the shaft. Another shaft (f) is journaledin the uprights carrying on its forward end a hand wheel (g)7 la clutch (h) with projections on each side taking into corresponding projec-` tions on the inside surfaces of two loose pulleys on the saine shaft when desired.` 1 One of the pulleys is worked by astraight band from a fixedpulley (/1) on the shaft c, and the other by a crossed band from another fixed pulley (m) also on the shaft c.

The shafts c` and f have each of them a bevel wheel (ny and 0) fixed on their eX- tremities outside of the upright b and in rear thereof.

A continuation of the upper cross piece affords a journal to a ianged collar having, attached to it, a bevel wheel (1) with a feather inside which takes into a groove in the upper or guide portion of the auger shaft p which passes through the collar Q and wheel 11, the latter working in the bevel wheel 1L. The lower cross piece is also continued to the rear affording a journal to a flanged nut (S), towhich is attached a bevel wheel (t) working in the bevel wheel o.

A hollow cylinder (u) (through which passes the lower portion of the shaft p) has a screw cut o-n the outside thereof, and

works in the nut s', it has a cross piece fu on its upper extremity which is connected by rods (guided by the pins x) with a cross piece (w) iiXed en the top of the auger` shaft p in such a manner as to admit of the rotary motion of the shaft.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A horse being attached to a lever beam in place of the crank handle Z draws the carriage, the driver (whom I designate as No. 1,) steering by the apparatus CZ. When it has proceeded the desired distance it is stopped by the brake b, applied by No. 1, he then, if the ground nclines in the direction of the axle elevates lthe platform u, at one end until the auger shaft is brought perpendicular to the horizon in the direction of the axle, by means of the setscrews Z, t, which may be connected with o-ne another by bands upon pulleys upon their ends, or by equivalent means, so that they may both be operated from one side of the machine. Then No. l if the auger is not directly in the required line of the fence, moves the superstructure laterally, by means of the shaft g, and its spur wheel fv, operating upc-n the rack fw, until it is ,in the proper position. In the mean time a man (whom I designate as No. 2) standing upon the platform u (if the ground should incline in the direct-ion of the length of the machine) elevates one end of the bed piece until the auger shaft is perpendicular to the horizon in that direction, by means of the set-screws e, e. The auger shaft being thus adjusted in a perpendicular position, with the auger directly over the spot where the hole is to be bored, the horse still attached to the lever Z is driven round in the direction of the sun communicating a rotaryv motion to the means of the clutch n, (operated by a lever) which gives such a direction to the revolving nut s (geared to the shaft f) as to cause the screw cylinder u to descend, bringing with it the revolving auger shaft by its connection therewith, thus boring a hole in the ground. When the proper depth is attained No. 2 reverses the motion of the shaft f by releasing the pulley Z and throwing .the pulley Z into gear, withdraws the auger from the hole, while it still revolves in the same direction. The machine is-then moved to the place where the next hole is to bebored and the above opera tions are repeated.

If it is desired to elevate or depress the auger when the machinery is not in motion (the pulleys 2" and Z being out of gear) recourse is had to the hand wheel on the shaft f.

By substituting a suitable auger and adding a movable bench to the machine, the apparatus may be advantageously used to bore holes in the posts themselves, in which to insert the ends of the rails.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The arrangement of the drill gearing yand clutch upon and within a frame pivoted to, and adjustable upon the sliding and ad.- justable platform u in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. I also claim kmaking said sliding platform adjustable upon, and pivoted to a fixed frame upon a traveling carriage in the manner and for the purposes herein described and set forth.

RANsoM r. ADAMS.

Witnesses DANIEL RoBBINs, AARON NAGLEY. 

